JAKARTA - LeBron James' desire to extend his record of entering the All-NBA officially ended after he could not help his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, face the San Antonio Spurs in the continuation of the 2025-2026 NBA competition season.
James was absent when his team hosted the Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, United States, on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, local time, due to a problem with arthritis in his left leg. The clash was eventually won by the visiting team with a final score of 136-108.
In addition to James, the Lakers were also unable to be strengthened by Luka Doncic (left hamstring injury), Austin Reaves (left calf injury), and Marcus Smart (right ankle pain) in the match.
It was the 18th game James has missed in the season's calendar so he automatically can't reach the 65-game threshold needed to qualify for All-NBA.
The 41-year-old has been named to the All-NBA team for 21 consecutive seasons. That's still an unprecedented record in the history of the most prestigious basketball league.
Not being able to play against Spurs makes James not meet the minimum limit of 65 NBA games to get that post-season award. According to the league's rules, players are entitled to this award must meet the threshold according to regulations.
The rule was first used in the 2023-2024 season. Since then, this rule has played a central role in how the league evaluates the value and durability of players as award voters prioritize consistent availability rather than statistical production.
LA Lakers coach JJ Redick said the threshold of the number of games played should be used as a guide to voters and not as a rigid rule.
"I know in my first year of voting, there were a lot of players who were in the 54 to 56 game range," said Redick, who was on the voting panel for the award when he was still working in the media, as quoted by ESPN.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he supported the spirit of the rule, but it certainly needed to be evaluated because the possibility of player injury was so great in the midst of the crowded match.
"Regarding the details of whether 65 matches is the right number and whether someone does not qualify for a certain award, to be honest I haven't thought about it too much. I think it's obviously annoying for the players who have had a really great year," he said.
One example is Victor Wembanyama who only played in 46 games last season after suffering an injury that ended his season in February, but he still leads the league with an average of 3.8 blocks per game.
Despite being absent for a long time, he is considered by many voters as a worthy candidate for the Best Defender of the Year award.
Doncic is also at risk of missing the 65-game threshold as he was declared out for a third straight game with a minor injury. He has overall passed 11 games so far.
So, he can only be absent for six more games to qualify for the end-of-season award. The Slovenian basketball player is likely to return when the Lakers face his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
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